BOISE — Boise Parks and Recreation commissioners voted unanimously Thursday night to move forward with proposed mountain bike skills course in the Boise Foothills.
The course will be built in the basin between Fort Boise Park and the Military Reserve, north of St. Luke's hospital. It will have tracks, rollers and other elements for mountain bikers of all ages and abilities.
The planned location is currently occupied by an off-leash dog park, which will be moved to an adjacent lot, displacing an archery range.
Boise's City Council has already voted to approve the overall donation agreement from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, making the commissioners' affirmative vote to approve the master plan the final step in OKing the skills park.
Not everyone who turned out to the Thursday meeting was excited about the park, however.
Several dozen people weighed in at the public hearing, with about half in favor of the park and half opposed.
Opponents of the course brought up concerns about safety, destruction of sagebrush and native plants, wildlife, and too much foot and bike traffic.
“We are giving kids the wrong idea about the foothills because if we harden the trails so they can ride on it when it's wet, when it’s snowing, they think 'well, I can do that in the foothills,' and the foothills can’t take that,” Boise resident Bruce Bistline said.
Another Boise resident, Katie Fite, also took issue with the planned bike course.
“The highly controversial siting of a world-class mountain bike park within Military Reserve will result in high levels of intensive mountain bike use that will damage the reserve and surrounding foothills,” Fite said. “It will have serious adverse effects on historical wildlife, rare plants, open space, and other diverse pre-existing recreational uses.”
Many of those in favor Thursday said the mountain bike course would be a great free and outdoor resource for kids.
Residents can view the master plan for the project and learn more on the Boise Parks and Recreation website.